Abb Corporate Social Responsibility

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In 2013, a new section has been added to describe the channels through which the suppliers can report any misconduct at ABB.

The SSDP can help suppliers tap productivity potential and enable growth, as is illustrated in the case of ABB supplier in India, Excel Engineering.

Excel Engineering Industries was selected for participation in the SSDP in 2013. One of the major challenges faced by Excel was extended working hours to meet production schedules. To address ABB’s concerns about compliance with the ABB Supplier Code of Conduct and applicable labor laws, Mr.Prabhakar Pawar, the CEO of Excel Engineering, undertook a review of workforce which revealed that 25-30 percent of the skilled, permanent workforce were involved in unskilled operations such as packing, material handling, material storage and sub-assemblies.

A realignment work practices was undertaken; unskilled contract workers were engaged for these activities, thereby freeing up the skilled workforce for production. This reallocation resulted in a 10 percent increase in the average monthly production output, while reducing the average monthly labor input by 17 percent. In the end, the work undertaken to solve a chronic overtime and labor compliance issue resulted in a productivity increase of over 30 percent.

COMMUNITY:

ABB strives to contribute to development and progress of the communities in which it operates The Group has more than 300 projects worldwide with the focus on education, health and environmental projects. ABB employees take part in a wide range of volunteering activities, and contribute financially to charities and projects worldwide. A few examples are as discussed below:

Helping differently abled people to live with dignity

In collaboration with SevaTirth, an NGO in Vadodra, ABB started outsourcing parts of its electric relay assembly to people with leprosy and different deformities living here. , ABB gives the workers the raw material and fabric kits, and provides training at both ABB and on-site so they can assemble and test electrical relays. By providing them with means to earn a living, respect and appreciation of their work, they have helped build their confidence and exposed them to a sense of inclusiveness.

Abb is also a major sponsor and provides volunteer support to Special Olympics in Germany. Every year, about 150 ABB employees spend a week of their holidays helping the mentally handicapped people take part in the Special Olympics. Senior managers work with factory workers to reiterate ABB’s commitment to inclusiveness in the society

Building a Future for the Young

At Sao Paulo, under the project called “Children with a future full of hope”, ABB works in partnership with local municipal workers to train children of the age between 8-15, in a variety of skills that would normally not be available to them, like computer skills, English, classical music, etc. Parts of the factories at ABB have been converted into classrooms for children. The program has been very impressive so far with 75% of the children securing a job and 30% going to universities for higher education.

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